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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Foundations and Soil

Site investigation

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

nounCommon term

In civil engineering & construction, site investigation means: The study of ground conditions before design, using boreholes, trial pits and field and laboratory tests to find out what the soil and rock are like.

In Turkish: zemin etüdü, zemin araştırması

How it is used

Often shortened to SI or called ground investigation (GI). The results are presented in a geotechnical report that describes the soil layers, groundwater levels and design parameters.

Example sentences

  1. The site investigation found a layer of soft clay at six metres.

  2. We can't finalise the foundation design until the site investigation report is ready.

Common collocations

  • ground investigation
  • site investigation report
  • geotechnical report
  • trial pit
  • carry out a site investigation
  • boreholeA narrow hole drilled into the ground during a site investigation to take soil and rock samples, carry out tests and measure groundwater levels.
  • bearing capacityThe maximum pressure the ground can safely carry from a foundation without failing or settling too much, usually given in kilopascals (kPa).
  • groundwaterWater held underground in the soil and in cracks in rock. Its upper surface is called the water table.
  • foundationThe lowest part of a structure, usually below ground, which spreads the building's loads safely into the soil or rock underneath.

More terms: Foundations and Soil

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